A Year of Letters
by Therese Delacoeur
Summary: It's the year after Ozai's defeat, and Katara and Zuko must commuicate, as Katara is now the Ambassador of the Water Tribes and must speak with the Future Fire Lord. Zutara, obviously. Oneshot. R&R!


* * *

Entry for the ZEFID Contest Marathon!! YAY!! Wish me luck!

Quick placement for y'all: this begins after the Gaang defeated Fire Lord Ozai. Zuko is preparing to become Fire Lord, with Iroh as chief advisor. Katara's currently in the South Pole. I'm using the modern calendar because I honestly have no idea if they even use a month system like we do. The years are recorded as F.O. (As in, since the Fall of Ozai.)

The "Games" are similar to the Olympic Games. All the nations participate, and it's to encourage unity and friendship between the countries again, healing the war wounds, as it were.

Spirits' Day is my own creation. Think of it like All-Saints Day here, a time of remembrance of the dead. (I assume that Zuko's mother has been confirmed dead in this universe, too.)

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER.

_**A Year Of Letters**_

January, 1 F.O.

Salutations and Greetings to the Fire Lord-in-Waiting:

Zuko

Defeater of Ozai and

Protector of the Fire Nation

From the Ambassador of the Water Tribes:

Princess Katara

Daughter of the Southern Water Tribe,

Master Bender, and

Avatar's Companion

May this missive find your lordship in good health and happiness. May I also extend, on behalf of the Water Tribes, our faith and friendship to you and yours; that our enmity might end in amity, and that we might aid in whatever way possible to your rapid recovery from the ravages of war.

Sent on this, the first day of January in the first year since the Fall of Ozai via firehawk.

(Signed,)

Katara, Ambassador of the Water Tribes

* * *

February, 1 F.O.

Katara—

Any help your tribes have to offer my nation would be appreciated. As Fire Lord, I thank you for your assistance.

As "The Avatar's Instructor" in firebending, I believe I have leave to ask you: when did you become a princess, peasant?

—Prince Zuko

Heir Apparent to the Fire Nation Throne,

Defeater of the Destroyer and the Vengeful, and

Avatar's Instructor

* * *

March, 1 F.O.

To Zuko, Fire Lord-in-Waiting:

If your highness is inquiring as to my title, might I be so bold as to ask who was "the Vengeful," as was written in your last letter?

As for myself, my titles are a mark of respect and granted to me by the things I have done for my people and for reasons that should be self-explanatory. I would encourage your future lordship to remember your manners (here, crossed out, is "if you ever had them") in future dealings between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribe.

A shipment of food and perishables is en route to the Fire Nation, sent last February, 1 F.O. It should arrive as this does.

(Signed,)

Princess Katara

Ambassador of the Water Tribes,

Daughter of the Southern Water Tribe,

Master Bender, and

Avatar's Instructor and Original Companion

* * *

April, 1 F.O.

(The recipient is not named.)

Thank your tribe for me, "Princess" Katara. Your ships arrived today in the main island, just as I received your hawk; however, they were curiously full of seaprunes. Also, those promised goods from the Northern Water Tribe are conspicuous by their absence. Should I assume they got lost at sea?

"The Vengeful" was my sister, Princess Azula. Uncle Iroh came up with the moniker. He wants me to ask how you're doing and if you're getting your music practice in.

—Prince Zuko

Heir Apparent to the Fire Nation Throne,

Defeater of the Destroyer and the Vengeful,

Bringer of Peace, and

Avatar's Instructor

(Postscript) By the way, you never answered my question, "princess." And what's with the "Original Companion" part?

* * *

May, 1 F.O.

To Prince Zuko:

I apologize to the delay in the goods from the Northern Water Tribe, though I'm relieved to hear that the _kumquats_ arrived safely and to your satisfaction. My esteemed brother Sokka tells me that they had merely been too busy rebuilding the wall that the Fire Nation's armada destroyed over a year ago to gather the extra supplies your country needs.

Also, had the ships been sent, I know for certain that they would never be lost at sea. Our sailors are too skilled, our benders too practiced, to allow such a travesty to occur.

Perhaps this claim seems surprising, considering the number of ships that the Fire Nation has lost in the years past, but I'm afraid that Water Tribe vessels are simply superior to those produced elsewhere. You shall see for yourself that I speak truly at the Games next month.

The fact that I am daughter to the head of my tribe makes me a princess by birth and by fact, a fact which you seem to have difficulty understanding; perhaps you have suffered some sort of head damage? I shall send our best doctors to attend you at the Games in July.

Please give General Iroh my fondest wishes. I have managed to practice my flute more regularly that I'd even hoped I'd be able to once I'd gotten home. Tell him also that I wish he was here to help me with my fingerings and my tea-making skills.

(Signed,)

Princess Katara

Ambassador of the Water Tribes,

Daughter of the Southern Water Tribe,

Master Bender, and

Avatar's Instructor and Companion

(Postscript) The "Original" was merely to distinguish between those who were with the Avatar from the beginning and not trying to _kill him_.

* * *

June, 1 F.O.

Katara!

Where were you at the Games? I had to put up with the simpering old fool of a healer who kept trying to bend water into my brain for the whole month, and you weren't there to call her off! Uncle missed you, too; he'd gotten out his best tea set in preparation for your arrival. He sulked for a week, no thanks to you. How is it you cause strife and problems when you're a continent and two oceans away?

And I told you, I know I was wrong to hunt ("the Avatar" is crossed out) Aang. I thought you'd forgiven me for that. Aang has, at least, let bygones be bygones. Do the same.

The Northern Water Tribe's supplies came with their participants in the Games. Not only did they _not_ bring just _seaprunes_ (underlined several times, denting the parchment) in their shipment, but they also brought their _ambassador_, too! (Again, "ambassador" is heavily underlined.) It seems the Northern Water Tribe, at least, has their responsibilities in order. Your brother has told me to tell you hello.

Hello.

By the way, the firehawk carrying this letter should be leading a war balloon full of metal hooks and nets for your tribe as payment for the supplies.

—Prince Zuko

(Postscript) You might be a princess, but you're still a peasant to me.

* * *

July, 1 F.O.

ZUKO!

THE NERVE OF YOU CALLING ME A PEASANT AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE FOR YOUR SORRY (something vulgar crossed out here) PRECIOUS PONYTAIL BUTT, YOU (more crossings out)!

LIKE I WOULD EVEN WANT TO SEE A SCRAWNY CAVEHOPPER SKUNKBEAR LIKE YOU AT THE GAMES, YOU _JERK_!

IF YOU EVER SHOW YOUR FACE DOWN HERE, I SWEAR I'LL FREEZE YOU TO THE HULL AND LEAVE YOU THERE UNTIL YOUR STUPID FIREBENDERS GET YOU DOWN!

Tell Uncle Iroh I'm sorry I missed him. He's welcome to visit anytime.

—PRINCESS Katara

(Postcript) AND KUMQUATS ARE GOOD FOR YOU!!

* * *

August, 1 F.O.

To The Most Esteemed and Honorable

Princess Katara,

Ambassador of the Water Tribes,

Daughter of the Southern Water Tribe,

Master Bender, and

Avatar's Instructor and Companion:

I formally apologize for my rude and unseemly behavior. It was unbecoming of me, and I have shamed the Fire Nation. Please accept my _humblest_ apologies.

—Prince Zuko

Temporarily Relieved of Duties

By His Advisor:

General Iroh,

Dragon of the West, and

Head of the Royal Family

(Postscript in an elegant, old-fashioned hand) I trust this is an adequate apology, Lady Katara?

* * *

September, 1 F.O.

To Prince Zuko:

I accept your apology. I understand that your teenage hormones made you temporarily stupid. You should thank the spirits that you have one as wise and understanding as your Uncle Iroh there to guide and correct you when you wander off the path of politeness.

Thank your craftsmen for the nets and hooks. They're really wonderful and work much better than bone.

—Katara

Ambassador of the Water Tribes

* * *

October, 1 F.O.

Lady Katara—

You're welcome for the stuff. If you need more, let me know.

Uncle told me to ask for more kumquats. He's been forcing them down my throat every night. Sokka was exaggerating; they're not so bad. If you smother them in volcano sauce, you can hardly taste them.

I'm sending two hawks this time. Keep the other one. He seems to like you for some reason.

—Prince Zuko

* * *

October, 1 F.O.

Zuko—

I'm supposed to ask if you have any of those powered water-boats anymore or if we destroyed them all when we blew up the naval shipping yard. Our current ships aren't fast enough to hunt the iguanaseals, and the Spirits' Day feast is coming up in the next two weeks. We'll compensate you for them, of course.

The Northern Water Tribe is sending some of its journeywomen healers to the Fire Nation to assist your doctors. They tell me to tell you that they look forward to sharing what they know about how the body works with what your nation knows about medicines.

I thank you for the hawk.

—Princess Katara

* * *

October, 1 F.O.

To Lady Katara:

I saved three from your attack on the shipping yard. They're a little dented, but should work fine for, ah, iguanaseal hunting. They need firebenders to power them, though. Care to trade? A waterbender for a firebender? We could use one to make the submarine ships that you used during the first invasion work.

The healers are blessing, but I'm curious: why didn't you send a master healer?

You're welcome for the hawk.

—Prince Zuko

* * *

November, 1 F.O.

Prince Zuko,

Thank you for the boats. The little ones enjoyed them immensely. I'm afraid they wrecked one and dented the other—they can't quite steer them yet—but the remaining two are being carefully cared for by Bender Kuzon. He sends "wishes of good health and fair fortune for the Fire Lord and his progeny." I assume this is simply memorized rhetoric, or should I be extending congratulations to a new Fire Lady?

The reason for both why we can't send you a bender for a bender or a master healer is that I am the only bender of the Southern Water Tribe of any skill, and I am the head of the waterbending healers for all the Water Tribes, making me the only master healer. You know they cannot spare me right now.

I lit a candle for your mother and Iroh's child during the Spirits' Day feast.

May Yue of the Moon light your way,

Princess Katara

* * *

November, 1 F.O.

Katara—

You, as Ambassador, would've been told of a new Fire Lady! That you would—! (There are several illegible crossed-out phrases here, though "Damn Kuzon" is vaguely discernable.)

Yes, it's rhetoric, and there are no immediate plans to change that fact, though Mai's family's been hinting about it to Uncle.

The Fire Nation held three great bonfires for our Spirits' Day celebration, in memory of those who died in each of the three nations. Naturally, the Air Nomad's fire was the biggest, but I said a prayer at each.

Now, what exactly are you doing at the South Pole that makes you so indispensable? Really, they survived—what, two years?—without you. I'm sure they could do it again.

—Zuko

* * *

November, 1 F.O.

Zuko,

I do many things for my people! We've had to rebuild the village ("since you destroyed it" is crossed out) since the end of the war, and I've had to redraw maps and entertain ambassadors from all of the other nations—except the Fire Nation, I might add—and Gran-Gran has been forcing me to meet with all the waterbenders from the North Pole because she thinks that (something that looks remarkably like "I need to get married" is scribbled out).

I'm just busy, alright? I shouldn't have to explain it to you, Master I'm-About-To-Be-Fire-Lord-In-Two-Months.

Thank you for the honor you did us on Spirits' Day. I'm thrilled the Water Tribes didn't get lost in the shuffle.

—Katara

* * *

December, 1 F.O.

To Katara,

Ambassador of the Water Tribes,

Daughter of the Southern Water Tribe,

Master Bender, and

Avatar's Instructor and Companion:

Your presence is required at the crowning ceremony of the new Fire Lord, his Royal Highness, Prince Zuko, on the first day of January in the second year since the Fall of Ozai.

Your Humble Servant,

Baron Li

Master of Ceremonies

Of the Most Glorious

Fire Nation

(Postscript, quickly scrawled) Come on, Katara! You have to be here! It's your responsibility! And what do you want for your Midwinter's present?

* * *

December, 1 F.O.

Zuko!

I can't believe you made your "Master of Ceremonies of the Most Glorious Fire Nation" write out an invitation to me! It was the most pompous, arrogant thing I've read yet from your stupid hawk. And your postscript was hideous, too! Not a "please" in sight.

Anything your Royal Bigheadedness thinks would be worthy of a Water Tribe _peasant_ would be fine, I'm sure.

(Unsigned.)

* * *

December, 1 F.O.

Dear Lady Katara,

I am sorry for the baron's high-handed letter. My writing hand had been injured during bending practice that morning, and it was bandaged while I was waiting for one of the waterbender healers to see to it. Since you were getting an invitation anyway, I decided to just write a little thing at the end instead of writing it all out myself. Or would you like the future Fire Lord to have a crippled hand for his crowning?

In any case, I hope this makes up for the letter. I wish you'd come to the ceremony.

Happy Midwinter.

—Zuko

* * *

December, 1 F.O.

Dear Zuko,

This more than makes up for your lackluster letter. I'm wearing it now, but you'll see that for yourself as we'll be docking in your capital's port in a couple of hours.

I'll see to your hand myself when we arrive.

—Katara


End file.
